After investing in gorgeous tile floors for your home, we are sure that you will want to keep them beautiful and pristine. To help keep your floors in tip-top shape, we have created a fast and easy guide for cleaning tile. Let us get started!

Cleaning Your Tile Floors 101:

Step No. One: Sweep or Vacuum.

You will want sweep or vacuum your tile floors regularly to remove any dirt or debris from the top layer. Dirt can eventually dull the look of your tile; therefore, regular upkeep will help it look better for longer.

Step No. Two: Mop.

In a large bucket, mix together mild detergent with hot water. After, you will want to mop all of your tiles with rag or chamois mop. Avoid using a sponge mop for this surface because it can get your dirty water into your grout line.

Pro-Tip: You will want to frequently change out the mop water whenever it begins to get cloudy or murky.

Step No. Three: Focus on The Grout.

Grout is an essential part of the overall look of your tile. A lot of homeowners will not focus on cleaning the grout, and this will leave the tile looking grungy and un-kept. In fact, your grout can absorb a lot of unwanted stains, oils, and greases, but the solution is easy. You will want to create a natural paste by mixing together equal parts baking soda and water. Once you have mixed the ingredients into a paste, you will want to take a toothbrush and scrub it into the stained area. Let this mixture sit on the grout overnight. In the morning, you will want to take a “stiff nylon brush” and scrub the grouted area. If stains continue to persist, you can buy a silicone-based grout sealer to help avoid future staining.

Disclaimer: Before cleaning any of your floors, you will want to consult with your flooring manufacturer. Each flooring can be a little different, and you always want to make sure you are using the correct method.

With consumers moving towards more health conscious purchases, it would only seem right to include the benefits of owning ceramic tile. Ceramic tile can be one of the most healthy flooring choices available for consumers. To help us better explain, we create a list with five reasons why ceramic tile is a healthy choice for customers. Let’s take a look!

Ceramic Tile: The Healthy Choice:

1. Go on, Let It Burn.

Interestingly enough, ceramic tile cannot burn. It is not a combustible material. Without the power to burn, it cannot create smoke or emit scary toxins. Unfortunately, that cannot be said about other flooring types. Luckily, ceramic tile can help keep you safe with its extraordinary ability to withstand extreme temperatures.

2. No Disguised Chemicals.

Ceramic tile does not contain scary chemicals that will make you fearful to touch it. You and your family can happily go about your lives without any worry about the chemicals inside your floors.

3. Now That is Resilience.

If you are a fan of science, you may know that in order to grow mold or mildew, you will need water. Crazily enough, ceramic tile is one of the only types of flooring that cannot grow mold or mildew. We see this because ceramic is composed of inorganic ingredients.

4. Allergy Sufferers, Rejoice.

Ceramic tile can be one of the easiest floors to clean. They only need a light dusting with a broom and mopping. The easy and light cleaning helps to make it perfect for homeowners or families that suffer from allergies. You can quickly remove dust, dander, and debris to help create a safe environment for all.

5. That’s Quality.

VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) are harmful and can be found in other types of flooring. Luckily, ceramic tile is composed of all-natural ingredients making causing them not to emit VOC’s. Without VOC emission, you can increase your indoor air quality, making for a healthier and happier home.

You may be wondering, “where do I sign up?” We would love to assist you with finding the perfect ceramic tile for your home. With a vast selection of styles, colors, textures, and sizes, you are sure to find something that you will love. Stop in today to learn more!

Ceramic tile is a favorite among designers and it has been in use in home design for a very long time. It is popular with home owners because in terms of versatility and design motifs the possibilities seem nearly endless. It can be used in both casual and formal settings and it reign supreme among all surfaces in bathrooms and kitchens. There are two types of ceramic tile – glazed and unglazed and both are set in place with grout. Glazed tile is the shiny tile often seen in bathrooms, and unglazed is the more porous version of the two. Grout is also porous.

Cleaning glazed tile is easily accomplished. First, make sure to sweep regularly. This will keep dirt from building up and making clean up more difficult. You can also use a vacuum without a beater bar or the attachments on the vacuum. Mats at each entryway will help reduce the amount of dirt tracked in as well.

Damp mop tile floors regularly as well. Use a mild detergent and make sure to clean with warm water afterwards to remove any residue from the cleaner. Be sure to consult the instructions from your manufacturer to ensure any cleaner will not harm your tile.

Don’t use steel wool, abrasive cleaners, or those containing bleach or ammonia. These can discolor your grout if used too often.

Tile is amazingly durable, but it can chip or crack under extreme force. Use floor protectors on furniture legs and chairs and be careful when moving large, heavy items across the floor!

For more information about how to care for your tile, visit us at Century Tile and use this page for reference.

If you’re designing a classic bathroom to mirror any era from Victorian to Art Deco, chances are you’ll end up considering a mosaic tile floor. Mosaics were used primarily as flooring in these older bathrooms simply because the floors weren’t even enough to support a larger tile without producing cracks. There are many different classic mosaic tile patterns available, each in a wide range of colors. Learn more about them to make a better decision for your bathroom flooring.

Basketweave Pattern

The basketweave pattern is one of the more decorative patterns, particularly when used with a very bright or colorful dot. The pattern is made up of rectangular tiles, often 1- by 2-inches in size with a very small 3/8-inch “dot” lined up with each of the four corners of the rectangles. The result makes it look as though the rectangles are weaving themselves in and out of the floor. The colors of this pattern can vary, but primarily the rectangle is white; the dot can be black, cobalt, white, or cream and still fit in with the classic design.

Oct-and-Dot

The oct-and-dot or octagon-and-dot pattern is made up of two sizes and colors of tile like the basketweave. A larger, often 2-inch octagon tile in white with a ½-inch or 5/8-inch dot in a contrasting color like black or cobalt. This pattern works the best when the white tile is matte in finish to make the polished dot stand out further.

Hexagon

Hexagon tile patterns come in many different forms. You have one size and shape of tile throughout the floor, but with the potential for many different color patterns. The floors can be a solid color such as white or black, they may be a checkerboard of white and black or they may have a flower pattern with a mixture of white or light background tile with a color tile forming circles on the floor. The hexagons can come in several sizes from ½-inch up to 3-inches in size.

Penny Tiles

The most fun option among the classic mosaics is the penny tile. Measuring about ½-inch in size, these perfectly round tiles come in a wide variety of colors and sometimes color blends. It isn’t uncommon to find these tiles in a bold cobalt or seafoam green to brighten up a bathroom floor.

The backsplash has evolved over time to become one of the most decorative elements in a kitchen design. Nearly any style of kitchen can make use of the different colors and patterns that can be displayed here, but one of the kitchen styles that can benefit most is the contemporary kitchen. With their stark lines and clean contours, contemporary kitchens often run the risk of feeling impersonal. Used correctly the backsplash area can help overcome this fault, injecting the kitchen with personality.

Keeping a Cohesive Design

Use tiles in a contemporary kitchen in a way that will both liven up the space and stay in keeping with the rest of the décor. The key is in the choosing of the materials and the way that they are laid out.

Bold Statement

One way is to use tiles to create a bold statement on the backsplash. If your kitchen is a little too stark or plain in color and design, a really bold backsplash can make the entire room pop; try one of these designs to enhance the space:

Use a bold color like red combined with a unique pattern such as falling water which is made up of several small pieces of tile designed to look like rain

Use a tile that has a unique feature such as glass rods installed to look like bamboo or tiles with an iridescent finish to them

Focal Point

If your kitchen doesn’t have a focal point or a resting place for the eye, it can make you feel as if you aren’t anchored in the room. Try using the backsplash to give the space a focal point using one of these ideas:

Use glass mosaics to create a modern mural behind your cooktop pulling from colors within the room as your palette and using a well known work of art as your inspiration

Use plain, oversized tiles on the majority of the backsplash, then use something very different behind the cooktop such as river rocks or handmade glass tiles in a bold color

Inject Some Fun

The backsplash is one way to inject your personality or interests into your design. Have some fun with it in your contemporary kitchen to make the entire room come alive.

Glass tile flooring is an unequaled material when it comes to innovative design with stunning results. Only glass has the distinct value of creating the beauty found in its natural reflecting ability, adding depth and perception at the same time. Glass tiles come in many shapes and sizes making them ideal for mosaic patterns. You can even add lights beneath your glass tiles to created a vision that is truly remarkable.

These tiles are not only beautiful, but easy to maintain and clean. They are waterproof, making them perfect for the bathroom. Sea glass tiles in your bathroom provide a stunning focus. The possibilities are endless with your imaginative decorating theme. You can use glass tiling on your walls and on your floor for a very special effect.

Glass tiles for the floor have a special nonslip surface so make sure when using glass tile for floors that the are specifically made for floors. Often you will be able to match up wall tiles with the same patterns and styles as the glass floor tiles.

A breathtaking effect comes from a focal point on the glass tile wall of different colors of glass tiles.

The increase in value of your home cannot compare to the personal enjoyment that comes from the addition of glass floors, even if only added to a few rooms.

Glass floor tiles are made using very high temperatures, adding to the durability of the tiles. Glass tiles have long been used in decoration, however the fantastically engineered items we see today are a result of amazing advances in the creation process resulting in greater strength and more intricate designs and curves.

The Ultimate in Design is Glass Tile Flooring

When it comes to the concepts of styling and reflective beauty, glass floor tiles cannot be beaten. The designs, colors and styles are endless. Make sure to consult with your trusted flooring dealer Century Tile in order to find the best options for your lifestyle and home.

When it comes to ceramic floor tile, who says it must remain on the floor? The possibilities are nearly endless. First of all let’s take a quick look at how ceramic tile is made, and why there are so many design options.

Ceramic tile is made with clay fired in a kiln. A variety of patterns, textures, finishes and colors can be achieved similar to those achieved in pottery. The effects can be breathtaking with dripping colors or a solid color such as cobalt blue.

Designs are applied to the tile through a special color glazing and through this many looks can be achieved, including any color of the rainbow. The color glaze is melted into the design when the tile is fired in the kiln creating a durable finish. The size and thickness of the tile are determined during this process to ensure consistency.

Some of the Many Creative Uses of Ceramic Floor Tile in Your Home

Ceramic floor tiles can create a very artful and lasting effect in your masterpiece of decor. Some of the ways that you can use it are as following:

Mosaics

Solid Color with or without a border

Kitchen back-splashes

Countertops

Stairs

Creating or defining flooring areas

As a special floor base board around base of walls

The possibilities are truly limitless when it comes to ceramic floor tile

Tiling doesn’t need to be confined to your floor.can even tile your floor with beautiful ceramic floor tiling and continue on up your wall with matching tile, or tile of complimenting patterns and colors. You can use ceramic floor tile in almost any area of your home. The sky is the limit when using ceramic tile in a creative way while decorating and adding the finishing touches to your masterpiece, your home.

When it comes to flooring and wall covering, there aren’t a lot of materials out there that can compete with the popularity of ceramic tiles. Why?Lets take a look at what ceramic tile has to offer.

1. Versatility and Beauty

Unlike most materials, the application of ceramic tiles is not confined to one part of the home. Sure, it reigns supreme in kitchens and in bathrooms, but it can work just as well in any other room. In fact, it is often used all throughout the house, indoors and outdoors,in climates where carpeting would be too warm an option. Other settings include offices, laboratories, hospitals, and shopping malls.

With the variety of shapes, colors, patterns, and textures available, the design potential of ceramic tile is virtually endless.You can mix and match, lay the tiles in a variety of directions to create your own interesting patterns. With only your creativity and imagination as your limitations, there is no end to the unique results and create a space screaming with character.

2. Resistance and Durability

Ceramic tiles are produced more or less the same way and with the same natural materials as it has been throughout the centuries. Despite its ancient origins, not many modern flooring and wall covering materials can resist and endure common sources of wear as well as ceramic tile.

It can withstand fire, water,frost, and many chemicals. That is, it does not burn or give off smoke, it resists moisture and frost (and thus molds and bacteria), andit does not absorb or retain chemical agents that may cause stains or odors.

A quality ceramic tile installation can easily last a decade or two. It is so resilient, in fact, that even NASA uses it on their space shuttles. Even when it occasionally cracks or chips, compared to other materials, it is relatively easy to restore or replace.

3. Easy To Clean and Low-maintenance

Since ceramic tiles can resist almost any kind of dirt and contamination, cleaning them is easy and maintaining them is not expensive. A damp cloth, sponge, or mop and cleaning agents such as bleach or a small amount detergent may be used to keep your tiles looking great. Sealing every three or four years can also help keep them in tip-top condition. When installing ceramic tiles, its great idea to put aside a few pieces for future repairs or replacement.

The advantages of ceramic tile don’t end here.Make sure to talk to a trusted flooring dealer in order to select the flooring best suited to your lifestyle and needs.

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